Staff WriterPlanning for the second annual Independent VoYces Literary Fair is well underway and this year, the organizers have joined forces with Jamaica Drums 4 Peace to make it a two-day event at Strawberry Fields Together in Robin’s Bay, St. Mary. On Saturday, November 6, workshops will be held by JamCopy, the Jamaican Copyright Licensing Agency and Carlong Publishers at Bookophilia in Kingston from 10am to noon, followed by an evening Drum Lyme in conjunction with Jamaica Drums 4 Peace at Strawberry Fields Together from 6pm to midnight. The main event, the literary fair, will be held from 10am to 5pm also at Strawberry Fields Together and will feature a select group of new and recognized authors who will share the stage with featured poets, dub poets, and the Bongani Drummers.
Set against a breathtaking backdrop of beautiful cliffs and beach, Independent VoYces will also feature an open mike, a supervised Children’s corner where children can enjoy storytelling, reading, arts and craft and drumming, a Corporate Circle and of course, a bookstore operated by Bookophilia. A highlight of the event is the Lifetime Achievement Award which will be presented to internationally acclaimed dub poet Mr. Malachi Smith and the Independent VoYces Award presented to Gleaner Senior Writer, Janet Silvera.
This year’s lineup of featured authors will include, Judith Falloon-Reid, founder of Independent VoYces who will be reading from her recently released novel Here’s a Hundred Dollars… Buy Yourself a Life!, Beverley East, whose novel Reaper of Souls tells the tale of the 1957 Kendal Train Crash and Veronica Carnegie, who brought laughter to last year’s audience, will return with stories from her new book, Leaving Home. Poet, singer/songwriter Jermaine Gordon and Fabian Thomas will be among the featured poets. Additional authors and poets are being finalized.
The fair will also gives space for featuring OAaSIS International Foundation, created to empower creative minds of today’s youth through workshops and other projects. The Foundation will be showcasing artwork by Jamaicans, especially those who have been giving support to the entity under the theme ‘Art to Hearts’. This is the result of a partnership forged between Anthea McGibbon and Judith Falloon-Reid.
Bookophilia, Kingston’s leading independent bookstore and café , will bring their signature style to Independent VoYces as the onsite bookstore where patrons can purchase the featured authors’ books and have their copies signed on the spot. Book lovers who do not have an opportunity to purchase at the event will be able to visit the bookstore at 92 Hope Road in the following weeks to buy the books featured at the fair.
Independent VoYces Literary Fair is sponsored by Air Jamaica in association with BarriVision Productions, Bookophilia, Kool FM, Jamventure Tours and the Jamaica Business Journal. For more information visit www.independentvoyces.com.
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